City Council - Regular Meeting

We will call this meeting to order. Ask the clerk to call the roll, please.

Here. With everyone present, we have quorum to start. If everyone would please rise for the invocation led by the city clerk, and I believe we have Troop 367 from River Chase. If you guys want to come down and right after the invocation, if you'll lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and then tell us a little bit about yourselves. Thank you. Dear Father, we just thank you for your grace and goodness.

At this point, I will turn the meeting over to Mayor Durzis. Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor. Before we move on to the adoption of the agenda, I want to recognize former Council Member Joe Reeves in the audience and retired Fire Chief Chief Wingate back there, hiding back there. So good to see y'all. Everyone received a copy of tonight's agenda. Do I have a motion for an adoption?

Mr. President, I would move for the adoption of the agenda as presented. And I'd also like to welcome the First Lady back to the chambers.

I have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. The nays, the ayes have it. Moving on to public comments, we have one member that signed up, Mr. Blake Westbrook. If you want to come down and give us your name and general vicinity where you live in Hoover, and you'll have four minutes, sir.

All right, moving on to the consent agenda. We met on Thursday night and went over these in detail. We will vote the consent agenda without comments or questions in one block. unless there's an item that someone wants to pull off to discuss. Any member of council wants to pull off any item one through 17 from the consent agenda for further discussion? Hearing none, any members of the public would like to remove an item from the consent agenda? All right, Mr. City Attorney.

Thank you. Do I have a motion for acceptance?

Mr. President, I would move for approval of the consent agenda as presented.

I have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. We did appoint some members to the Medical Clinic Board. I know Chief Wingate, Ms. Kim Starling I see back there, and Mr. Sam Esa. If y'all don't mind coming down, we'll get a quick picture. And thank y'all for agreeing to serve our city.

Big item on the agenda tonight, resolution number 899426, Mr. Walter.

We will open up the floor for questions from council.

29:08 – 29:24•SMSteve McClinton

Mr. President. Mr. McClendon. Dr. Lopez, first of all, kudos for doing a great job. We appreciate it. I know it's very painstaking to do what you do, and we want to congratulate you and your staff for doing a fine job. Appreciate it. Thank you.

Yes. Dr. Lopez, you said yesterday was the start of the current pay period. Yes. How much would it cost to backdate the COLA? It's against the law. You can't. It's against the law? Yes. It didn't seem to matter to the last administration. Why should it matter to us? I can't speak to that. Excuse me, I didn't say that. I'm sorry.

Mr. President, I do have a couple. Regarding the salary and classification survey, I'd really like to see us, in conjunction with that, make sure we are taking a look at how we're using technology in our existing roles to ensure that we're Getting maximum efficiency out of the roles that we already have before we consider adding more Sure, I think that's a great idea and then one more mr. President People may notice that there is a reduction in the amount that we have previously supported the Chamber of Commerce and I think that's it's worth noting that the Chamber of Commerce is important to

Well said, Councilor Driver. Any other comments from council?

Mr. President, two weeks ago you had mentioned my sticky notes. I'm ready to get started.

Luckily, Councilman Smith had a meeting with Dr. Lopez and staff that I think most of ours lasted maybe a little over an hour or so. How long did Councilman Smith last, Dr. Lopez?

I appreciate Dr. Lopez, her staff, and the department heads that I had conversations with. and I met with the mayor today for the better part of an hour, and I appreciate what everybody did to meet my concerns. I think probably the largest concern I have is that the software that the city now uses cannot produce the information that I'm accustomed to seeing, and if I understand, Dr. Lopez, you're going to be looking at another software, maybe what we used to use next month.

Microsoft version of what we used to have. And I meant to bring a copy of one of those budgets, but they're about six inches thick, where this budget's about an inch and a quarter thick. And that's not Dr. Lopez's fault. It's the technology that the city bought into during the last administration. I'm happy with her work, with the mayor's work, and the council's work up to this point. And, Mr. President, if you wanna let me know whenever you're ready for a motion.

Very good. Do we not have a motion already? Well, let's go ahead and have a motion before further discussion, sorry.

Mr. President, I would move for approval of resolution 8994-26. Second.

I have a motion and a second. So before we vote on this, though, any further comments from council? Do we have any comments from the audience at this time? Hearing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. Ms. Dickerson, did you print off that additional resolution for continuance?

I appreciate having the continuing budget resolution on standby just in case.

Okay, moving on to these will be public hearings coming up. Ordinance number 262711, Mr. Attorney.

Mr. President, I would move for adoption of Ordinance 26-2711. Second.

I have a motion and a second. Any comments or questions from the council? From the audience? This is a public hearing, so we'll open up that hearing for public comments. Hearing no public comments, we will close the hearing and ask the clerk to call the roll.

Aye. With seven ayes, the ordinance is adopted. Moving on to ordinance number 262713.

I move for adoption of Ordinance 26-2713, please, sir. Second.

I have a motion and a second. This is a public hearing. Any comments or questions from counsel? Any from the audience? We will close the public hearing and ask the clerk to call the roll, please.

Aye. With seven ayes, the ordinance is adopted. Moving on to Ordinance 262712.

Mr. President, I would move for adoption of Ordinance 26-2712.

I have a motion and a second. This is also a public hearing. So we will open up the comments or questions from council.

Mr. President, I think we said this when this was originally introduced, but I do just want to say again, kudos to the mayor and the staff for making it a priority to streamline our government processes.

Yes, I agree. This is something we've all been asking for for quite a while, and I'm happy to see this finally come to fruition, hopefully with the vote, to cut some of the red tape that you see in the local government. So, Mayor, thank you. Thank you to your staff for prioritizing this. Any comments or questions from the audience? Hearing none, we will close the public hearing and ask the clerk to call the roll.

Aye. With seven ayes, the ordinance is adopted. Moving on to the public hearings for consideration in one motion, we have... Let's see, resolutions 89-52-26, 89-51-26, 89-95-26, 89-96-26, 89-97-26, and 89-98-26. Mr. Waldrop, if you'll just read those addresses for us. The 89-51-26 is abatement for nuisance due to weeds and grass on property located at 2177 Kelly Lane.

Mr. Smith, I failed to recognize one that was going to be withdrawn. So if you will just make a motion for those resolutions as read by the city attorney.

Yes, sir. Do we want to take care of the one that's withdrawn? Very good. Mr. President, I would move for approval resolutions 8951-26, 8995-26. 89-96-26, 89-97-26, and 89-98-26. Second.

I have a motion and a second. This is a public hearing. Mr. Martin, do you have anything to add?

Very good. Comments or questions for Mr. Martin from the council? from the audience. Sir, if you'd like to get up and speak. If you'd come to the podium, please, and give us your name for the record.

That would be a comment from Mr. Martin. Mr. Martin, can you come down to address it, please? And Mr. Martin, if you can also address, with us not being able to verify the vehicle's removal tonight, if we pass... this tonight, what would occur moving forward, or should we possibly continue this?

He's wanting to know the codes that were violated.

Yes, sir. The city inspectors just need to verify that. So I'm going to entertain a motion for us to continue that for inspectors to go out and verify that they have been removed. And then we'll remove that from consideration.

If we amend to withdraw, does that mean it has to start over again?

All right. Mr. President, I would... amend my motion for 8995-26 to be withdrawn to the call of the chair.

I have a motion and a second. We need to vote on this motion before moving on. That's correct. So we have a motion to withdraw Resolution 8995-26. All in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. We still have a motion on the table for 8951-26, 8996-26, 8997-26, and 8998-26.

Mr. President, before we move on with this one, some of us on this end of the dais noticed when the photos were up that they were dated April of 2026. So I'd like to understand from Mr. Martin what the process has been since April to follow up and see what condition these properties are in as of a date reasonably close to this evening.

So the item for 449 Shadescrest Road then that we were just speaking about and withdrew, I'm confused about that with the gentleman saying that the cars have been removed. You're saying somebody went out and the cars were there today?

Mr. President, should we also verify whether or not any vehicles that remain are operable?

Would that provide an exception if they're operable?

Sir, if you'll give Mr. Martin after the meeting, I'm sure he's willing to talk you through the codes. Does that satisfy you? Thank you. Any further comments from the audience? If you'll come down to the podium, please. Just give us your name, and you've got four minutes.

I believe this particular resident is a frequent flyer. Okay, fair enough. Our staff does a great job with recognizing people that are unable to cut their yards due to, you know, inflection or disability or elderly or whatever. And we have many churches and partnering, you know, businesses that are willing to help out with those people. A lot of times the addresses you see here are owned by out-of-state property owners, renters, or corporations, and we send the city out to cut those properties.

No. That speaks volume to your character. I appreciate it.

No, sir. It just means you're going to meet more often.

Now, Mr. Esser, if you want to come by 2395 Abbey Glen Circle. Yeah.

Yes, sir. If this passes, it'll go through that process to have someone come out and take care of that. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Any other comments or questions from the audience? Hearing none, we will close this public hearing. All in favor say aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. Moving on to a first reading for Ordinance 263. No, I'm sorry, I forgot about resolution number 8952-26. This is for 5038 Melrose Way, and it has been cut to satisfaction, so I'll take a motion to withdraw this from consideration.

Mr. President, I move to withdraw resolution 8952-26. Second.

I have a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. Those opposed? The ayes have it. Now for the first readings of Ordinance Number 262714, Mr. Waldrop.

Very good. That brings us to the end of our business portion of the meeting. Any comments from council before we end?

Any other comments from council? Mr. Mayor, do you have anything to add?

Thank you, Mayor. Thank you to all the staff and all involved with the budget. That is a big undertaking every year. I noticed one member of the Boy Scout troop showed up a little late there. How you doing, buddy? Y'all want to come back down for one more picture? Come on. Let's not leave anybody out.